Master Key
- May 17, 2024
- Achromi
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Master Key" is an item-based exploration game with a dense world, filled with ferocious enemies, shops, weapons, and powerups. Discover secrets and dungeons across 5-20 hours of content, with no language support and minimal guidance. This game is a tribute to hiking and exploration, encouraging players to forge their own path through its story.
Reviews
- Master Key is a charming homage to classic 2D Zelda games, featuring clever puzzles, rewarding exploration, and a delightful art style that evokes nostalgia.
- The game is packed with secrets and collectibles, encouraging players to explore every nook and cranny, leading to satisfying 'aha' moments.
- Despite some combat issues, the overall gameplay experience is engaging, with a well-designed world and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the adventure.
- Combat can be frustrating due to hit-sponge enemies and awkward controls, which may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The lack of direction and occasional confusion regarding paths and secrets can lead to frustrating moments, requiring players to backtrack extensively.
- Some players may find the monochrome art style hard to read at times, and the absence of text can make understanding certain mechanics challenging.
- graphics26 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming 1-bit art style that, while minimalistic, effectively enhances the overall experience with clean animations and a nostalgic aesthetic. Players appreciate the depth of gameplay hidden within the simple visuals, although some find the black-and-white palette occasionally challenging for visibility. Overall, the graphics are well-executed, contributing to a rewarding exploration and puzzle-solving experience, complemented by a delightful chiptune soundtrack.
“I'm honestly pretty amazed at how well the developer was able to pull off the '1-bit' art style.”
“By the time the credits rolled, I'd really fallen for the aesthetic, the world design, and the exploration of the game.”
“The 1-bit graphics are really well executed and the world and dungeon design is great.”
“I thought I'd enjoy the 8-bit Zelda homage part in theory but did not in practice, particularly with the difficult visibility at times due to the black and white art style and the surprisingly tanky enemies that made the combat feel a bit clunky for me.”
“Although the black and white graphics are sometimes hard to read, the art style is charming.”
“The game is definitely not just retro in its aesthetics, by which I mean the game design feels very antiquated with how cumbersome and hostile to players it sometimes feels.”
- music20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its spectacular chiptune soundtrack, which perfectly complements the gameplay and evokes a nostalgic, adventurous spirit reminiscent of classic 2D Zelda titles. Composed by Noé Guiton, the soundtrack features a variety of memorable tunes that enhance the emotional depth of different environments, making it a standout aspect that players find themselves humming long after playing. Overall, the music is described as charming, well-crafted, and integral to the game's immersive experience.
“The music does a great job of conveying emotion in various areas, well done to the composer.”
“The composer absolutely nailed the fun, adventurous spirit of a 2D Zelda game, and I've found multiple of the songs stuck in my head.”
“The talent of Noé Guiton is demonstrated in every facet of Master Key, whether it's a happy and simple tune for a sleepy town, or a thought-provoking secret place that you stumbled upon. Noé Guiton's mastery of composing is the perfect pair for Master Key in every sense of the word, that you'll want to hum along to the music as you play.”
“The music.”
“The music in Master Key, composed by Noé Guiton, is phenomenally scored and the absolute best choice that Achromi could have chosen for this robust and vibrant world he created.”
“The music is also very endearing and well crafted, which reinforces the appeal.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its fluidity, depth, and engaging mechanics, featuring a vast open-world filled with secrets, clever puzzles, and a nostalgic aesthetic. While the graphics are described as limited yet charming, the overall experience is enhanced by a spectacular soundtrack and rewarding exploration. However, some players noted issues with boss fight mechanics and a lack of clarity in certain gameplay elements later in the game.
“The gameplay is very fluid and well-tuned, the music spectacular, and it feels like every screen hides a secret or two.”
“Satisfying gameplay, rewarding exploration and puzzle-solving, and an appealing Game Boy aesthetic with an excellent matching soundtrack to boot.”
“Puzzles are clever, mechanics are straightforward but used in interesting ways, and although the black and white graphics are sometimes hard to read, the art style is charming.”
“If you liked the secrets of Tunic but wished the gameplay was more of a traditional Zelda instead of a souls-like, this is for you.”
“As I said above, the bosses have incredible design, but it was slightly worsened by how long the fights were, how much damage their simple attacks do, the lack of healing spawned by mechanics of the fight, and how hard it was to predict/dodge a small amount of their attacks.”
“Towards the second half of the game, there were some mechanics that I wish were explained, such as destroying trees and dungeon walls, and swimming up waterfalls.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the need to farm money for key items and upgrades, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Combat mechanics, such as high enemy damage and lack of defensive options, further exacerbate the grind, making encounters feel exhausting rather than rewarding. While some players may appreciate the challenge, many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding undermines the game's potential for fun and engagement.
“Lots of key items need to be bought, not found, which in turn leads to just grinding money, typically an unfun activity.”
“There was a lot of exhaustion in either having to kill enemies that take many hits or trying to dodge enemies and taking random hits that you then have to spend time grinding health back from.”
“You can buy upgrades for your wallet in the town, but seeing as the only thing gating these purchases is more money, I really don't see why these things had to be upgrades in the first place, since you can farm money infinitely in this game (albeit slowly and tediously).”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game features minimal story and lore depth, with players noting a lack of text and narrative structure. However, it compensates with a vibrant, living world that encourages exploration and discovery, allowing players to engage with the environment and uncover secrets at their own pace. Overall, while the story may be sparse, the charm and personality of the world keep players invested.
“It was only late in the game when I said to myself, 'Okay, I should stop doing the main quest and see what random grottos/caves I haven't gone in that might have secrets in them,' that I discovered this place, and the item inside would have been extremely helpful for progression, quality of life, and discovery.”
“- The store page doesn't lie; nothing is story gated. You can explore as far as you like so long as you have the proper abilities.”
“I don't get the sense that there's much story or lore depth to dig into, having completed nearly 100%, but it's a really meaty exploration game with decent combat and plenty of everything to engage with.”
“Since there is no text, don't expect a huge story.”
“Despite the lack of story, this is still very much a living world full of charm and personality.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a longing for emotional experiences reminiscent of classic games like Link's Awakening, highlighting that while Elden Ring is a top-tier game, it evokes different feelings and reactions, including tears, but not in the same nostalgic or heartfelt way.
“I've been looking for a game that made me feel the way I did when I first played Link's Awakening.”
“Elden Ring, this is not (thank goodness; Elden Ring is a top-10 game for me, but for wildly different reasons than Link’s Awakening. It also made me cry for wildly different reasons than Link’s Awakening).”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, often finding themselves amused by unexpected deaths and the challenges posed by obscure puzzles, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
“I found myself laughing and being very amused by unexpected deaths and getting stuck on some of the obscure puzzles.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch; I couldn't stop chuckling at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
“Every time I thought I had seen it all, the game threw in a clever joke or a funny twist that had me in stitches.”
